The Texas House of Representatives reached the quorum Thursday for the first time since nearly 60 Democratic lawmakers fled Austin to curb voting on a controversial election reform bill.
The unprecedented nearly six-week outpouring of lawmakers in Washington, DC to push for federal vote reforms, created a confrontation with Republican Party officials who issued orders for the arrest of runaway police officers.
Last week, Democrats returned to the state House, but on Thursday lawmakers returned enough to meet the 100-member body threshold to vote, according to The Texas Tribune.
A quorum was reached dramatically as Democrats Armando Walle and Ana Hernandez pushed Rep. Garnet Coleman, who was wheelchair bound, to the floor of the House on Thursday.
The stage is now being set for the vote on the Republican Party bill, which Democrats have been trying to block since May, claiming it would violate the ability of minorities to vote for The Lone Star State.
“It’s time to get back to the business of the people of Texas,” House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Republican, said when a series of bills were referred to committees. “I thank you all. I look forward to working with you over the next week or two. “
The House will rise in the evening and meet again on Monday, according to the report.
Democratic lawmakers began blocking a vote on the bill in May with a way out to end time on the legislative calendar. This prompted Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to order a special session. The group responded by massively leaving Austin on July 12, prompting Abbott to convene another special 30-day session, which is ongoing.
The measure of voting restriction at the center of the chaos would block the widening of access to voting while giving red state politicians more control over polling places and is one of many GOP-sponsored election laws throughout the country influenced by former Trump’s false allegations of electoral fraud. in 2020.
Democrats say it will make it harder for marginalized people to vote in Texas, while Republicans argue it will improve electoral integrity.
The three returning lawmakers issued a joint statement stating they were “proud of the heroic work and commitment” the Democrats had shown in the fight against the bill, according to the Texas newspaper.
“We brought the fight for voting rights to Washington, DC and drew national attention to our state’s partisan push to weaken access to the polls. Our efforts were successful and served as the main catalyst. to urge Congress to take action on federal voter protection legislation, “the statement said.” Now, let’s continue the fight on the floor of the house. “